Review of Frederick Brooks’s Mythical Man-Month Book
I think I got a taste of writing reviews. Earlier, I published a review of the book by Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacsson . Now I decided to share my opinion on another book popular in it-circles. It's about the book by Frederick Brooks, The Mythical Man-Month, or How Software Systems Are Created.
The cornerstone of the project manager profession.
Almost any loud epithet here will not be superfluous. Book as a symbol of the era. The name and surname of the author are inscribed in the history of the development of information technology in large letters. The pages of the “Mythical Man-Month” not only contain fundamental knowledge of project management, but also summarizes almost half a century of experience in developing applications in a team. Brooks was one of the first to be embraced by a kind of gold rush. Although he warned that "there is no silver bullet," many followed in his footsteps in search of Eldorado.
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A concept proven by time. A phenomenal increase in productivity during software development is nothing more than a myth. Scary, in general, honesty. Nevertheless, years go by, and researchers continue to “break spears” on this topic. The main role in the process of developing software Brooks assigns good designers. After reading the leaders reluctantly think: is it really necessary to save on analytics? However, the main goal of the study of Brooks is not that. “Mythical man-month”, if you will, is intended to consolidate the status of creativity for the development of applications. The task is ambitious, but it seems that Brooks did manage to fulfill it. The latest scientific and technological revolution is proof of that.
Anyway, only an American could write such a book. The author is open to dialogue. The last chapters, supplementing the first edition, in fact, contain all the conceivable and inconceivable criticism of the law of Brooks. Without cuts. It must be said that the law stands it, and not without brilliance. The author gives comments on each attack in his direction, honestly agreeing with opponents or arguing firmly with them. The Mythical Man-Month remains unshakable, like Stonehenge or the Egyptian pyramids.
Methodologies change, new programming languages appear, hardware performance grows, but the book continues to be relevant. What's the secret? It's simple: Brooks found the right point of view. Software development is not so much about technology and tools, but about people. The phenomenal growth of IT technologies has created a lot of illusions, forcing project managers to forget about the most important thing - their employees. Brooks brought them back to earth.
Why and to whom to read?
It is easier to answer the question of who should not read this book. Do not read despots, to continue to veer the team. Do not read tantrums to continue to burn nerves and resources. Do not read to newcomers to remain "promising."
Quote
"It takes nine months to give birth to a child no matter how many women are involved in this task."
The cornerstone of the project manager profession.
Almost any loud epithet here will not be superfluous. Book as a symbol of the era. The name and surname of the author are inscribed in the history of the development of information technology in large letters. The pages of the “Mythical Man-Month” not only contain fundamental knowledge of project management, but also summarizes almost half a century of experience in developing applications in a team. Brooks was one of the first to be embraced by a kind of gold rush. Although he warned that "there is no silver bullet," many followed in his footsteps in search of Eldorado.
')
A concept proven by time. A phenomenal increase in productivity during software development is nothing more than a myth. Scary, in general, honesty. Nevertheless, years go by, and researchers continue to “break spears” on this topic. The main role in the process of developing software Brooks assigns good designers. After reading the leaders reluctantly think: is it really necessary to save on analytics? However, the main goal of the study of Brooks is not that. “Mythical man-month”, if you will, is intended to consolidate the status of creativity for the development of applications. The task is ambitious, but it seems that Brooks did manage to fulfill it. The latest scientific and technological revolution is proof of that.
Anyway, only an American could write such a book. The author is open to dialogue. The last chapters, supplementing the first edition, in fact, contain all the conceivable and inconceivable criticism of the law of Brooks. Without cuts. It must be said that the law stands it, and not without brilliance. The author gives comments on each attack in his direction, honestly agreeing with opponents or arguing firmly with them. The Mythical Man-Month remains unshakable, like Stonehenge or the Egyptian pyramids.
Methodologies change, new programming languages appear, hardware performance grows, but the book continues to be relevant. What's the secret? It's simple: Brooks found the right point of view. Software development is not so much about technology and tools, but about people. The phenomenal growth of IT technologies has created a lot of illusions, forcing project managers to forget about the most important thing - their employees. Brooks brought them back to earth.
Why and to whom to read?
It is easier to answer the question of who should not read this book. Do not read despots, to continue to veer the team. Do not read tantrums to continue to burn nerves and resources. Do not read to newcomers to remain "promising."
Quote
"It takes nine months to give birth to a child no matter how many women are involved in this task."
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/295132/
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